Evergreen Gardyne has the perfect answer for team-mates on his case

Michael Gardyne was thrilled to get his Caley Thistle team-mates off his back by bagging a priceless winner at Kilmarnock.

The former Ross County player, who scored a record 73 goals in 444 games for the Staggies, scorched the net with a wonderful early clincher to put Caley Jags top of the Championship.

The evergreen 35-yearold, who joined Inverness in the summer, hopes hitting the net in only his third league outing will silence his team-mates.

He said: “I had a wee feeling that I’d get off the mark.

“The lads have been on my case. They act like I’ve played 100 games and not scored when I’d only actually played three.

“It was nice to get the goal and get myself off the mark.

“It was always going to be hard going to Kilmarnock, so to get the win as well as another clean sheet was always a bonus. I was delighted.

“I put quite a lot of power in it. From that angle, you just want to hit the target and hit it as hard as you can and thankfully it’s gone in. It was maybe just a bit too hard for the goalie and a bit too close for him to react quicker.

“For me personally, it’s great to get off the mark and put in a good individual performance, but it was all about the team.

“I thought we were brilliant. Even the lads who came on, like Welshy (Sean Welsh). He does what he does and keeps us ticking over.

“Killie were on top at times, but we defended brilliantly.”

Gardyne won the secondtier title twice with County and, after four straight 1-0 wins for Inverness, there’s plenty of pride about the surge to the summit at Kilmarnock’s expense.

However, like team manager Billy Dodds, Gardyne insists their feet are planted firmly on the ground.

He should know. No one can think beyond the next match.

The ex-Killie winger added: “Kilmarnock’s budget is well documented, but we will take it one game as it comes.

“I have won this league a couple of times and that’s exactly what you have to do.

“You can’t look too far ahead. It’s a great start, but that’s all it is. We’re only four games into a 36-game season. We’ve not done anything yet.

“We’ve got a good mixture of youth and experience, but we’ve also got the middle-aged guys who know the game. But it is far too early for us to be talking about winning leagues.

“For us, even in the dressing room, all we’re saying is that it’s a good start.

“The positive is keeping clean sheets. We are getting the goal to win and it would be nice to get a couple more goals, but the clean sheets are brilliant.

“Mark Ridgers and the back four have been great, but it starts at the front. Shane Sutherland, for example, works his socks off. It starts from there and the lads behind follow up on that.”

Inverness are home to strong Highland League starters Buckie Thistle in the SPFL Trust Trophy this weekend before welcoming Partick Thistle, currently second, to Inverness on September 11.

Gardyne is off the mark after third league outing.